The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Utah authorities have fined Aylo (distributor of Pornhub) and other adult websites $5 million for failing to stop the distribution of videos featuring minors.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Utah authorities have fined Aylo (distributor of Pornhub) and other adult websites $5 million for failing to stop the distribution of videos featuring minors.
According to the Washington Post, regulators found that Aylo ignored reports of child exploitation videos on its resources for years. The company claimed to have a «zero tolerance» for such content, but in fact did not review videos that users flagged and allowed the same violators to create new accounts. An audit in 2020 found tens of thousands of videos with minors and recordings without the consent of the participants.
Only in 2022 did Aylo partially restrict re-registration for users with blocked accounts, but this turned out to be insufficient. The company did not implement technical means that would prevent the re-uploading of prohibited materials through other accounts.
As part of the agreement with the FTC, Aylo is required to implement stricter moderation systems: verify the identities of all content contributors, ensure constant monitoring of uploads, and prevent the reappearance of banned videos. Over the next ten years, an independent company will monitor whether Aylo complies with the rules. If regulators find violations, the fine could increase by another $10 million.
The company stated that it did not admit its guilt, but agreed to the agreement, emphasizing that since 2020 it has already introduced a number of changes: mandatory verification for all users, expanding the staff of moderators, and using new control technologies.
The Utah Attorney General called the trafficking of child pornography «one of the most heinous crimes in society» and stressed that victims of such crimes are re-traumatized every time the content is shared.
This case is another signal that the US government is focusing on children’s safety online. In the summer, the FTC already held consultations on strengthening laws in the field of online protection, and previously fined Disney $ 10 million for illegally collecting children’s data on YouTube.
There are also complaints about Aylo in Europe: in France, Pornhub temporarily restricted access after introducing mandatory age verification for users, and in the UK, the company promised to strengthen these mechanisms.
Previously, dev.ua wrote about how the company that owns Pornhub registered as a VAT payer in Ukraine. This was reported by People’s Deputy, Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Verkhovna Rada Danylo Hetmantsev.
